Pressure-gage for pneumatic tires.



G. M. RHONEMUS.

' PRESSURE GAGE 'Fon PNEuMATlc mes.

APPLICATION FILED DECJE. 19H3.

Patented 0er. 29. 191s.

Ano iw! nu H jects, I arrange the pressure indicating section throughv GEORGE M. RHONEMUS, 0F INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI TRESSURE-GAGE FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES.

specification o'f Letters Patent.

' Patented oct. 29,1915.

Application filed Dcember 26, 1916. Serial No. 138,736

7b all 'whom #may concern.'

Be it known that I, Gnocca M. RHONEMUS, u citizen of the United States, residing in the town `of Independence, county of Jackson, and'State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements ,inPressure- Gages for Pneumatic Tires', of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvementsin pressure indicating gages, and' more espeeially to gages of this character which are adapted to indicate the air pressure of an automobile or similar tire.

The objects of r'ny invention are to produce a comparatively sim le, cheap, dura le, and eflicient' device of this class, and to so locate and 'arrange it in a valve stem that the tire may be freely pumped up 'in the ordinary manner, and so that the gage will at alltimes automatically indicate the degree of airv pressure .contained in the linner tube, or tire propel? To accomplish the foregoing ,and otherto and slightly in a valve stem in proximity above the inner tubeto which'the valve stein is attached and locate the tirevalve proper over and l',eirterior tothe pressure indicating gage "passages being pr vided .around the gage? leading ,fromV the valve to within the interior of the inner tube for conducting the compressed air as it is pumpedlinto the said inner tube. y

'An embodiment or adaptation of my improvement is hereinafter set forth in the following description, and particularly pointed out in the appended gclaim, referenoo being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which several'views of a valve with my improved pressure indicating gage are shown. t ,Inthedrawingm Figure 1 `represents a central longitudinal a valve stein. equlpped with my improved pressure indipating gage, also showing a fra entary view of an inner h tdlstem 1s attached. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary central longitudinal section through the valve taken at approximately i-right angleto Fig. 1, and on line 1--1 in said Fi Fig. 3 is a side elevation o a fragment of the valve stem illustrating the indicating dial, the indicating hand, and the view. window placed m front ofthe same.

Fig. 4 iena transverse section through the valve stem taken on line 2r-2, Fig.' 2.

In the preferred form of my invention here illustrated the gage is shown located within the inner metallic tube or stem, which constitutes the valve stem proper, and Vjust above the point'of attachment of said stem to the inner tube` of the tire. The usual air inflating valve for the tire is .arranged exterior to and in the outer portion ofthe stem above the gage and separate therefrom."

In referring to the illustrations of 4my invention shown in the accompanying awings in detail, like numerals indicate corresponding parts. My improved primarily designed to be utilized in conJunction with the usual iniiat'ing valve of a pneumatic tire, the valve stem of said valve being arranged to contain the pressure gage in pressure indicating gage is Y position next to the tire, and with the nating` valve located over the same.

In Fig. 1, I have sh-.nvn a fragment. 1. of the inner tube of a pneumatic tire of the usual and wellknown type. A valve stem, 2,

is atached to said tube inthe usual and well known way, substantially as shown in'Fig. 1 being p ded at its lower or inner end with a surrounding Hap, 3, of rubber, which fits through the opening in the tube and is cemented to the interior of the same. The metallic valve stem, 2, has its upper rten exteriorly screw threaded and its interior shaped to'receve the usual inating valve, 4, which 4 normally closes against a conical valve seat, 5, being pressed in tight positin by the spring, 6.-

The valve, 4, is mounted upon a valve rod or stem, 7, of the'usual type. `A transverse partition; 8, is fitted -n a medial portion of 4he interior of the stem, 2, and provides an air tight barriei.` t

Througlirthe lw-all of the valve tube or stem, 2, slightly above: this partition, I videone or more openings, 9, which constitute airpaages and around the lower portion of the stem 2, `I-preerably lit an outer casing, 10, whic' metal land is rovided with tending annu artop Harige, Fig. 1. The casing, 10, is ma larger than the valve stem to .provide an intervening annular compartment or chamber, 12, into which an inwardly ex. ll as shown in the air flows from thl passages, 9, as indicated' by arrowsn Fig. 1. 110

Near the lower end of the valve stem, I also provide one or more o iings, 13, which form passages through@ ich the air Hows from the annular cham by the lower arrows. My improved air pressure indicating mechanism is referably located in the lower portion of t below the inflating'valve, and' below the air tight barrier, 8. f,

Preferably, this mechanism is constructed in a simple, durable, and practically fool proof form, comprising-a piston, l14, slidably mounted in the lower portion of the valve stein, and having n upwardly extending rod, 15. which carries a rack, 16. The

indicating dial, 17, is set in a circular box,

18, the valve stem, 2, being recessed or fiattened on one side toreoeive said box, as shown in Fig. 2, 'and said box, ,18, is provided with a: window of glass or. similar transparent material, 19, thro gh which the dial can be viewed. A sho 't horizontal shaft. 20, is rotatably mounted in the center ot' the dial containing box, 18, and carries a pinion, 2l. at its rear end, which'meshes with therack bar, 16.

The indicating hand, 22, is located at the front extremity ofl-the' shaft, 20, and is adapted to be turned to indicate the degree of compression upon the dial through the rotation of the shaft by means of the rack and pinion. The outer casing, 10, is also provided with a view window, 23, through which the position of the indicating hand may be easily noted when the outer inclosing cap, 24, is removed.

The piston 14 is sup osed to make an air tight fit with the interior of the stem 2, but

this is sometimes only theoretically possible.

After a considerable period of use a certain amount of air will seep past the piston and enter the chamber formed thereby 'and the partition 8. The air which` had entered said chamber, from the inner tube 1, would carry a pressureconsiderably above atmospheric, and, consequently, would exert a downward pressure upon the top of the piston 14. This pressure would naturally tend to move the rack 15 downwardly', and would render inaccurate the readings on the dial 19. To obiate this difficulty I have provided a relief opening into the said chamber. This comprises a tube 25 extending through the partition 8 into the chamber, andv out through the stem 2, above the iange` 11. A relief valve 26 is positioned on* said tube outside of the stem. In use when the operator wishes to ascertain the degree of air pressure in the pneumatic tube l, he opens the reliefV valve 26. and anv compressed air rushes out er,'1l2, as indicated4 e valve Stem t1re pressure u on the dial.

through the tube 25. AAtmos being thereby restoredin-the the partition 8, cause the dial to A s rin herc pressure pressure in the tube 1 will register properly. 27,interposed between the piston 1 an a downwardly facin annular shoulder in the stem 2, above t e piston, tends to preserve the piston 14 in 'a proportionate to the pressure in the pneumatic tube 1, but an absolutely accurate reading may be secured by manipulation of the va ve 26.

The operation of my automatic indicating gage is as follows:

The air being pumped through the iniating valve in the usual manner, it passes out through the openings, 9, into the .chamber 12, around the ress ure indicating gage, and then inwardly t rough the openings, 13, into the interior of .the valve stem, and `finally into the interior of the tire. The course that the air follows in passing into the interior ofthe tire is indicated by arrows in Fi 1. When the pressure of air within the tire is increased by iniation, the extra* pressure forces the piston upward against the tension of the spring, 27, turning the shaft, 20, by means of the rack and plnion and moving the indicating hand to indicate the rop The dial itself, it will be note as shown inFig. 3, is provided with a series ofpressure indicating numerals, 2B.

While I have described in the foregoin specification adaptations or embodiments o my invention, it should be understood that the structural arts thereof may be varied, changed, modi ed, or altered or one ormore may be omitted or dispensed with` without departing from the spirit of my invention as fairly dened in the following claim, or as may be imparted thereto by invoking the doctrine of equivalents.

chainber below position pressure What I clalm as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A device of the character described comprising a' hollow stem adaptedy for attachment to a penumatic tire and having an inflatin valve, a closed substantially air tight chamer in the interior of said stem, a ressure indicating mechanism on the outsi e of 

